Pumpkin Cheesecake

Try this for an alternative to your normal Pumpkin Pie during the holiday season.  It is delicious and will quickly become a family favorite.  You need to go to the local liquor store and buy a bottle of Sweet Lucy Liqueur for this recipe as it is used throughout!!

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/2 cup pecans, toasted, chopped and soaked in 1 tablespoon Sweet Lucy Liqueur for 2 hours
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg yolk (save egg white and add to filling)
8 tablespoons butter, melted

In a food processor, blend all ingredients. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a large spring-form pan and bake for 10 minutes at 375°. Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling
Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 can pumpkin (place paper towels around pumpkin to soak up excess water, gently press towels)
2-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 eggs plus 1 egg white, beaten
1/3 cup apple butter
2 tablespoons Sweet Lucy Liqueur

Directions:
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the brown sugar. Blend in pumpkin, apple butter, cornstarch, liqueur, cinnamon and nutmeg. Slowly mix in eggs, one at a time, and then pour into the crust in the spring-form pan. Place pan on large sheet of foil and loosely pull foil up around pan. Place on baking sheet; pour 1/2 –inch in baking sheet, not coming up above the foil. Bake for one hour or until the center is set in a 325 degree oven; may add a little more water to baking sheet during cooking. Turn off the oven and remove the cheesecake.

Topping
1-1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons marshmallow cream
1 tablespoon Sweet Lucy Liqueur

In a medium bowl, mix the topping ingredients. Spread the mixture over the top of the cheesecake and return to the warm oven for 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecake and let cool to room temperature. Chill well.

Garnish
Pecan halves, roasted and soaked in Sweet Lucy to arrange around top of cake.  Garnish with pecan halves and serve with a heaping drizzle of your favorite caramel sauce.